>> a fight over keeping more money in your paycheck could bring down the rest of the government. details are coming up. >> we are celebrating purple friday on thursday. ravens fans are heading out to san diego. details are next. >> does holiday shopping picking up or stress to out? tell us how you feel. >> looks like there's some rain heading our way. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thank you for joining us this morning. >> starting out to be a mild

day. >> we're in the 40's right now. we're doing good. jumping up 10 degrees per day. we will not keep that going tomorrow. mostly sunny and 75 on saturday. that is not the case. we have cloud cover but it is dry. 46 at the airport. we will make it to 56 or 57 this afternoon. we have some rain to talk about. the morning commute should be just fine. maybe take an umbrella with you. we will check the seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. first we say good morning to sarah. >> good morning. we are tracking a few new problems. southbound 24, there is an accident. another one involving an

overturned vehicle white had road at security boulevard in quinone -- gwynn oak. 59 as you make your approach to the j.f.x. on the north side. one more problem, we still love route 2 closed over to 255 in anne arundel county because of a downed pole and wires. we start in 29 at 32. north and southbound traffic, volume still on the light side. this is chesaco avenue. looking good to and from the key bridge. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> lawmakers are still locked in a stalemate over extending the payroll tax cuts. >> the ripple effects could have an impact on funding for the

rest of the government. >> good morning. the top three lawmakers in congress met privately on wednesday. but still no deal. on capitol hill, the fight continues over extending payroll tax cuts. >> the republican house now has passed a 350-page bill loaded with all kinds of provisions that have nothing to do with the payroll tax cut. >> now funding to keep the government running past friday may be in jeopardy, too. >> it's pretty clear to all of us that president obama and senator reid want to threaten a government shutdown. >> while both sides agree that the payroll tax holiday should be extended, they do not agree on the details. on wednesday, senate democrats met with president obama to consider dropping demands that the $120 billion tax holiday be paid for with a new surtax on millionaires. but first, they say, republicans have to negotiate. >> republican leaders have already spent weeks drumming up tea party support for

legislation they knew was dead on arrival in the senate. >> democrats insist the bill has too many strings attached, like an oil pipeline project and extending the pay freeze for federal workers. senate republicans are blocking a vote on the measure until they can vote on a spending package. >> fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year and then turn immediately to the payroll tax extension that expires later in january. >> house republicans could go ahead with their own spending bill despite objections from the white house it is pushing for a short-term deal to allow more time for negotiations. in washington, i'm tara mergener, wbal-tv 11 news. >> the search continues for the suspect who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in glen burnie. police have released a sketch. the suspect fled the scene

leaving many patrons concern for their own safety. >> i came out to the parking lot. i don't know what to expect. i'm already scared to leave now. it makes me more frightened. i'm for finding who did it because no one should have to deal with -- woman or man should have to do with anything like that. that will score an individual for life -- that will scar an individual for life. >> call metro crime stoppers if you have any information, 1-866- 7-lockup. police in california are investigating a man for three cases of alleged sex abuse on children. anyone with information is asked to contact investigators in california. >> robbery is believed to be the

motive for a shooting inside a barbershop. police arrived on the scene on 7:00 p.m. and wednesday night and found a victim that was shot multiple times. he's listed in serious but stable condition. a second teenager is now charged in a fight that had to be broken up with pepper spray. the fight broke up on tuesday. more than 1000 students had to be evacuated after pepper spray was used to stop the fight. state officials are keeping a close eye on the beltway overpass that was damaged earlier this week. the overpass at 95 before wilkins avenue is safer traff fr traffic. inspectors will check the structure on a weekly basis to

make sure the damage does not get any worse. >> the ravens will take the field this sunday night in san diego. a devoted contingent of ravens fans is headed west to route the team on. jennifer franciotti is live with their story. good morning. >> you cannot see it because i and inside this ravens bus. the photographer is about to be invited on board. we have lots of ravens fans there will be flying to san diego. talk to me about this trip. i'm here with disciple and captain d and poetic justice. you guys are heading out to san diego. >> we're ready to go. >> you are flying out tomorrow.

you'll be there waving them on. >> i will handle the bon voyage party and they will bring us back a victory. >> you guys are a member of the posse. you do fundraising for local charities. >> there are a lot of fans in the ravens charity. >> tell me about this bus. >> this is about eight years in the making. you can see there are seats that recover from jerseys from the old colts as well as the present ravens. this is our to delegate function. we tried to invite people in from other cities to be here with us. >> the ravens will hear you in san diego. >> we were speaking with rate

christ the other night and he said, we hear you -- we were speaking with ray rice the other night. >> hundreds of ravens fans will be going to the game. we will see our fans and the stadium. jennifer franciotti reporting live. go ravens. >> she looks very comfortable. a majority of americans find the holidays to be stressful. 25% have gone shopping to improve their mood. shopping provides a short-term increase of the chemicals in the brain that provide happiness. 15% say they feel guilty after their shopping spree. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. do you find holiday shopping a good way to relieve stress, or is it something that causes you stress? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to

watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> if you're hoping for a white christmas in maryland, don't hold your breath. the climate center has listed the probabilities for a white christmas and baltimore's chances do not look good. a tall % chance of a least an inch of snow on the ground, we're ranked 27th of cities in the northeast. a city in new hampshire is rated number 1. pittsburgh has a 34% chance of finding snow on christmas day. >> what do you think, tony? >> i'm thinking this is good. >> 6;10. -- 6:10. >> some scary moments inside an ice rink. >> an unusual sight on the streets of maryland which some

say is a ufo. >> ava marie live in dundalk this morning previewing an incredible train garden. incredible train garden.

>> good morning. we're back with a live view from the skycam. 48 degrees downtown. a storm system is approaching. i am live this morning at the y. is avenue volunteer fire company. an incredible trained garden.

-- an incredible train garden. this is running to the first week of january. >> we are open every day from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on the weekend from noon until 9:00 p.m. >> there are so many things to look at. you have trains and automobiles. >> we of hundreds of moving animated features -- we have hundreds of moving animated features. >> we can kind of see how this works because this is a fabulous. you have a chance to see this through january 8. that storm is approaching from the west. a better chance for rain in the afternoon. we have snow-capped mountains. we have a call % chance of a white christmas. the better see this. >> -- we have a 12% chance of a

white christmas. >> that is incredible. thank you, ava. that is something that is worth going to see. weather-wise, not a lot happening, but we do expect some rain later this morning. high pressure is protecting us for the time being. there is a storm system on the other side of the mountain. the rain is moving pretty quickly. by the time we get into the afternoon hours, some of that rain will catch up to us. i think it will fall apart as it gets into maryland. it will be scattered light rain showers. cloud cover at the present time. you will see some sunshine sneaking through the clouds this morning. 42 in parkton and jarrettsville. a relatively mild start. the average high temperature is 46.

cloudy skies and a chance for some rain showers. the morning commute should be ok. high temperature between 53 and 58. showers are likely to die. temperatures drop back into the 30's. -- showers are likely tonight. probably some clouds in the morning tomorrow with a high near 49. another chance for some light rain or snow on friday night and saturday morning. a clipper storm goes north of us on sunday with some sprinkles and flurries. 6:16. let's check the roads. >> tracking a few accidents. we start in bel air on southbound 24. we have an accident. we have an overturned vehicle in gwynn oak at whitehead road and security boulevard. so far so good in terms of our

speed centers. 53 on the west side past liberty. one more problem, a downed pole and wires in a car wouharwood. take 468 as your alternate. still moving very well in the outer loop. southbound 83 at york road a bit sluggish towards middletown. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. back to. >> thank you. three weeks to go before the iowa caucuses, the republican candidates square off in a debate once again. the latest poll shows new gingrich in the lead with 40% of respondents say he is their first choice. mitt romney came in second at 23%. five people were sent to the hospital after lethal levels of

carbon monoxide were found inside an ice rink. a dehumidifier malfunctioned sending fumes into the air. folks in kansas will tell you a ufo is heading to maryland. the craft covered in a tarp looked suspiciously like a flying saucer. it is possibly a drone prototype on its way to maryland. >> that is what they told us it was. the holiday shopping sea son had a busy season but

people may be deciding that that 80 sweater they got from grandma may not be for them. consumers were not able to turn out a discount only to find they surpassed their budgets when they got home. your office party antics can go viral. jane king has the bloomberg business report. >> good morning. walmart is hoping you're not shocked out. they are launching a big christmas sales this saturday, offering the lowest prices of the season on toys and electronics. target is offering black friday- like deals. $75, you'll get a $10 gift card.

we have numbers on inflation. yes today stocks continued their downward spiral on concern europe is still struggling to contain its debt crisis. -- yesterday. the bloomberg maryland index was lower thanks to the black and decker. medical insurance -- put your best foot forward to your office on holiday bash. four in 10 workers have committed or witnessed embarrassing antics. crazy antics can become very public thanks to the internet. >> keep in mind about streaking. 45 degrees on tv hill. and overturned vehicle is

slowing things in baltimore county. >> it will return to the heart and soul of the ravens. keith mills of more on the welcome of ray lewis. >> here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning.

sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. a few things to watch for. we start in baltimore county. we have an accident involving an overturned vehicle. southbound 24 approaching the bel air bypass, another accident location. on the north side, not bad. moving well for the most part. starting to tap the breaks around liberty. route 2 is shutdown. take 468. this is traffic as volume continues to build. you can see we are looking at delays approaching liberty in the outer loop. for a smooth ride from the maryland line down to about what on the harrisburg expressway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we are off to a quiet start on this thursday. we don't expect any rate to start the day. 46 at the airport.

42 in parkton. we will make it into the mid 50's this afternoon. the chance for rain goes up this afternoon. we will check the seven a forecast in just a few minutes. here is keith mills. >> you are too kind. the last time the ravens played the charges, ray lewis made one of the great plays of his career to give the ravens the win in san diego. no word if ray will plight but he did return to practice after injuring his toe. he has missed the last four games. his teammates gave him a long, slow standing ovation. you can see chuck pagano welcoming him. ray wore number nine in order of

steve mcnair. terrell suggs wore number four. check out terrell suggs. haloti ngata had some fun when asked about ray's return. >> not much. no, i mean, just -- they stepped up for us and did a great job. ray lewis is coming back and you will see some of that excitement and leadership come back and the fire and that will be good for us. >> you can see the game right here on sunday night. maryland and florida international last light at the comcast center. the terps looking for their sixth win at home. that is not isaiah thomas but

his team came ready to play. 13-0 run by the visitors. sean moseley hits the shot and gets fouled. down the stretch terrell stoglin with 20. he comes up big here. maryland wins. the terps are 6-3. knicks say nick saban in town. in the house. >> interesting. 45 degrees on tv hill. a major hurdle is cleared for a merger. >> the iraq war is over. good morning. i am tracie potts in washington.

we have closing ceremonies this morning. >> we're previewing the famous train garden at the firehouse. we have details when yo

>> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. when will the rain arrive? >> i think we have a couple of hours left. there is a good chance we'll see some rain. that is our forecast. thickening clouds by the time we hit the afternoon. we're in the 40's right now. we will make it up to 56 this afternoon. >> after nine years it is finally over. the last u.s. troops are, all from iraq. >> leon panetta is there to mark the ceremony. tracie potts has more from washington. >> this morning defense secretary leon panetta participates in an end-of- mission ceremony at the baghdad

airport, taking down the last u.s. flag, marking the end of this 9-year-old war. >> i'm proud to finally say these two words, and i know your families agree -- "welcome home." [cheers] welcome home. >> president obama congratulated troops and thanked military families at fort bragg wednesday. >> you, too, have the thanks of a grateful nation. [cheers and applause] we are ending a war not with a final battle, with a final march toward home. >> from the first air strike to the fall of baghdad and years of insurgent attacks, nearly 4,500 americans lost their lives. the u.s. brought democracy, but security is still a problem, and rebuilding is far from over. senator john mccain accused the president of ordering the pullout based on politics, not national security, and criticized him for initially opposing the surge that led to victory. >> history will judge this

president's leadership with a scorn and distain that it deserves. >> but today, no failure. victory. >> very happy that he's going to be here for christmas. >> dad is right there! >> the troops are finally coming home. the congressional budget office says since the beginning, we've spent over $750 billion on this war. in washington, tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> a presidential historian charged with conspiring to steal documents is seeking to suppress evidence found at his manhattan apartment. they said a war and failed to establish probable cause. his assistant pleaded guilty to theft and conspiracy charges. constellation energy and exelon

have agreed to sweeten the deal. exelon has vowed to develop more natural gas, wind, and solar power in maryland and provide more protection from b.g.e.. that doubles the concessions they had initially offered. it will not extend anymore rate relief to b.g.e. customers. >> six weeks after a massive fire ripped through a mt. washington tavern, demolition of what was left is now underway. the may not know what began the fire. damage topped $2.5 million. the tavern is expected to reopen next fall. >> new coins are being minted. the gold and silver coins represent the battle of baltimore cofeature the lyrics of the national anthem.

only 600,000 coins will be produced. there will be on sale for a year starting in march -- they will be on sale. >> a die-hard group of ravens fans is going west. jennifer franciotti has a report from the airport. >> we're at the airport celebrate purple friday on thursday. ravens fans are getting ready to head to san diego for the sunday night game. these are a few of the guys that are always out to support the team. we have a poetic justice and disciple. you're going to the game. >> i'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. >> how ready are you? you're ready to go. poetic justice, you know what it's like when you're in zero and away stadium and the ravens

fans are there. >> we're there to rally all the fans. things go bad, we're there to cheer the team on. if things are going our way, we're there to keep on cheering. >> you have to admit that ravens fans are the best. >> we travel well and we take a lot of people with us. >> captain defense will be out at the airport tomorrow cheering on the fans. >> i'm here to cheer on the fans and give them a pep talk and to remind them that this is a business trip. this is about business and this is the first out of making air playoff run. >> you know it means a lot to the players to the fans in and away stadium. >> i spoke with one player in the set be loud and proud. >> the purple is there from

start to finish. >> we do not quit. >> that is a good feeling. i have spoken to fans all week long who are excited to cheer on the ravens in san diego. how much fun to go to california. jennifer franciotti reporting. back to you. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. let's get you up to date. we have a couple of accidents we are tracking. in overturned a vehicle at security boulevard. 19 miles per hour on the west side. those delays falling into place. delays on southbound 795. approaching the bel air bypass, police are on the scene of an accident. no problems on 895. we have a problem in harwood. take 468 as your alternate.

we start with the west side. that is filling up and pretty crowded down towards edmondson. this is the harrisburg expressway. things are starting to back up out of the parkton region on york road. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now ava marie is joining us from dundalk. looks like a pretty spectacular site. >> spectacular is a great word to describe this train garden. this has been a tradition in dundalk for about 90 years. it has moved to the volunteer fire company. they put so much work into this. weeks and weeks. the openness after the thanksgiving holiday. the only take a couple months off every year from working on it. you can see why. all the different train tracks. you can see the highway.

the high with looks so realistic perspective be 95 right there. we will come back and tell you how they did that. tried to imagine how they made that looks so real. let's check the forecast. it will be in the mid to upper 50's this afternoon. temperatures are warming up. we do have a chance for rain this afternoon. friday intoing odrying out saturday. we're not expecting a lot of accumulation. we will go back to stan and mindy. >> i don't have a clue about how that was made. >> batteries. southern high school is closed because of an accident on solomon islands road. 45 degrees on tv hill. >> i heard him growling and i

did not know what it was. i heard a few more times and just kept on working and finally saw him and threw my light and tools and ran out. >> what did that technician find that had him running for his life?

>> we begin in new jersey were a

cable repairman urges service see after a bizarre in canada. he said he heard a low rumbling noise in the basement. he looked up and found itself staring into the eyes of a black bear that had wandered into an open door. get out safely and the bear was tranquilized. >> never ignore the growl. garbage truck crew made an unusual find. he believed a black bear hitched a ride into the city on the truck in north vancouver. animal control officers were able to tranquilize the bear and drive him back to the woods where he was released safely. >> just looking for some lunch. it up, your answers to our water cooler question of the day.

>> welcome back to 11 news today. robberies believed to be the robbery inside the shooting of a barbershop. police arrived on the scene wednesday night and found a victim shot multiple times. he is listed in serious but stable condition. the search continues for the suspect who sexually assaulted a woman in glen burnie. police have released a sketch of the man. he attacked her as they walked out together. the suspect fled the scene. if you have any information, call metro crime stoppers at 1- 866-7-lockup. the majority of us find the

holidays to be a stressful time. a new survey finds 25% of people say they go shopping to improved their mood. for many, the good mood is short-lived. 50% say they feel guilty after a shopping spree. >> that brings us to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. >> this morning we asked -- do you find holiday shopping a good way to relieve stress, or is it something that causes you stress? [laughter] >> good people-watching.

>> we will post more of your answers on the front page of wbaltv.com. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-weather plus together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. tracking some delays on the west side. this is around 795. 23 miles per hour in the outer loop down towards edmondson. an accident at security boulevard in gwynn oak. up about 24, an accident in the bel air region. one more problem that shuts down route 2. take 468 as your alternate. this is traffic in the white marsh area. looking like it is starting to get heavy down towards the beltway. 70 west of the beltway, a bit of a backup.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. ava marie joins us live in dundalk at the train garden on wise avenue. >> there is anything for everyone. there is so much to see. about 1500 square feet. i'm here with the electrician behind this. you make this all happen. how much work goes into this? >> about 300 hours. my responsibility is to power up the garden underneath, so most of my work is underneath the garden and to make the animations and to light up the houses. >> there are so many moving pieces, cars and sounds as well. >> the sounds are coming from

the trains. we do have other animations that makes sounds. there is a gas station and a car wash. some of the houses have music. most of the noises are from the trains. we have a passenger train. >> tell us how the highway works. >> there are motors underneath the garden. they have a seat belt material that the cars are stapled to. they moved like a highway going pass. >> that is incredible. it looks like the fort mchenry tunnel. they are open every day through january 8. noon from 9:00 p.m. during the weekend. they are asking for a donation. let's check the forecast.

storms are approaching from the west. did you get that? they have a police system on eight seat belts -- they have a police system on a seat belt. >> they have a replica of tv hill. >> and the ravens game beating the steelers. >> thank you, ava. that is worth going to see. the clouds are thickening up. we have high pressure that is close enough to keep us dry. that is moving off the coast. some of the rain will catch up to us. we see some rain moving from ohio into west virginia. most likely take an umbrella because you might need it on the

way home. the clouds will be thickening up. the further we go into the day, the thicker the clouds will get. 42 in jarrettsville. a relatively mild start. it will be a warm afternoon. high temperature between 53 and 58. the best chance for rain will be this afternoon. off and on light rain showers tonight as temperatures drop back into the 30's. a mixture of sun and clouds. that is on friday as the storm pulls away. on saturday, a mixture of sun and clouds. colder over the weekend. there is a chance for some sprinkles or flurries this weekend. temperatures stay in the 40 possible through the beginning of next week. >> thank you. 45 degrees on tv hill.

>> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day.

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♪ oh, what fun it is to... get in the spirit with dunkin's holiday coffees and lattes. try peppermint mocha, gingerbread, or new cinnamon swirl today. >> we have some incidents and some delays on the west side in the outer loop. a backup on southbound 795. that accident still being cleared at security boulevard and it does involve an overturned vehicle. in bel air, another accident location. we do have some downed wires and a downed pole. take 468 as your alternate.

in terms of delays, starting to back up on 95 out of the white marsh area. this is ruxton road. the j.f.x. looks good down towards the city. >> in the 40's right now. we will make it up to 56 this afternoon. some rain showers will catch up to us but probably not until this afternoon. we cool off into the 40's over the weekend. it will feel more like winter this weekend. >> looking for more weather and traffic together? be sure to join us this morning for 11 news at 7:00 a.m. on wbal plus. >> you'll find more local news as well as up-to-date traffic and weather information. you can find it all on comcast channel 208, verizon fios 460, and 11-2. >> thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> we will be back with a live update at 7:25. >> have a good one.

>> follow breaking news and weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter. >> this is a wbal-tv 11 editorial, from president and general manager dan joerres.

>> publicity surrounding the child sex abuse scandals rompted dr. william kerr whwin policies on sex abuse and neglect. maryland has taken action. the boy of regents voted to require reports to be filed within 40 hours by those who witness abuse or neglect on campus. report is required to make to the police department and the local department of social services. all six of fax the 13 colleges and universities in the system. they are making sure the process is clear and to take the extra steps to make sure that the policy is being followed. the next step will be training so they know precisely what to do when a complaint is filed.

hopefully these methods will help protect children in maryland and have abuse issues addressed immediately.